IX Pirates, I Piece
by Amelie Laroche
Summary: Join me and explore the world of pirates with the strawhats! A mix between adventure, fantasy and... romance? Is somebody gonna melt the ice heart of the stern Nico Robin? Will Nami learn to love something more than money? Are Zoro and Luffy gonna help, or will the womaniser of the ship intervene? Not everything will be so obvious as it'll seem.. or maybe it will? Read to know!
1. IX

I. "Nothing's like home"

It was another beautiful day on the Thousand Sunny. The weather was perfect for the navigation and a clear, blue sky looked upon the Strawhats. Each crew member was busy with their usual occupation: Zoro was sleeping on the deck, enjoying the soft wind breeze; Chopper and Usopp admired Franky, who nonchalantly showed off the fairly new adjustments of the ship and the multiple functions of the endless buttons on his iron body; Robin was in her room, reading some ancient book in an equally old language; Nami was studying the log pose; and Brook was playing a sweet tune, a perfect accompaniment to all of the pirate's tasks.

However, the established harmony lasted less than it took you, dear reader, to read this through.

What was that shiny thing falling from the sky? It wasn't the sun, nor a big bird: Luffy.

"And don't you dare enter MY kitchen again without MY permission!" roared the cook, his leg still in midair from the high-kick who just sent his captain flying.

Luffy stood up and showed his enraged companion a broad smile, the kind of smile who could either mean that he understood everything or nothing at all.

Mostly, it was the second choice.

"Sanji, is it dinner time yet?"

"WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE LUNCH!", the cook screamed back in exasperation.

A door came open and Nico Robin got between the two of them. Reading was out of question anyway, with all the ruckus out there.

"Talking about lunch.. It's about time, isn't it?", she asked, looking at Sanji with a soft smile.

"YES! ABSOLUTELY MY DEAREST! YOU SHALL HAVE THE GLORIOUS MEAL YOU DESERVE!" - and with that the cook dismissed himself and rushed to the kitchen.

"Thanks Robin", Luffy grinned, "if it ain't you or Nami, it's basically impossible to get him something done, y'know"

Robin thought that it wasn't true. The cook was a womanizer, but he took pride in his kitchen and he managed it well. It was just Luffy who was hungry at all times. But she decided to not object and to nod instead. That was the kind of woman Robin was: conciliatory.

Nami was the opposite. The redhead was wild and free, just like the wind. Hot-blooded, her scream was the loudest when it came to scolding the childish behavior of her crew mates - or charging them with taxes.

Ironically, the iron will of one of the strongest and bravest swordsmen in the world turned into the same rubber Luffy was made of when it came to her.

Not because, among all the other crew members, Roronoa Zoro was the most indebted of them all, or because she was the expert in avoiding the problem he always unexplainably found himself to deal with - getting lost - but because not being able to repay Nami consequently made you her slave. Or worse, got her mad. The apocalypse sounded like something survivable in comparison to a furious Nami racing towards you.

He never said it out loud, but the swordsman thought that she was the main reason they needed a doctor on board.

"Table's ready!", Sanji said. He knew he didn't need to shout, nor to repeat himself, when it came down to food.

Not even five minutes later everybody was gathering around the table.

"My stomach is mumbling since forever - if I had a stomach! Yohoho!"

"C'mon Franky can't you do something about those cannons on your arms? You're taking up too much space!"

"They're a part of me y'know! It's like me telling you to move your nose out of the way cause I can't reach the dishes!"

"My nose has nothing to do with this! Plus it's a great nose, and it's 100% human flesh! What abou-"

"Guys... I'm smaller than you.. Can you make some room for me?"

"Nami-swan, my beloved princess, would you like some more water? ... Yes Robin, I'm coming!"

"CAN I HAVE MORE?"

This was the usual chaos which occurred 2 times a day, lunch and dinner. In the morning everyone had different schedules and they didn't eat together.

Thank God, Zoro thought.

But if everything till now proceeded in the absolute normality, it was about to change drastically.

It all started with a giant bird flying on the ship. Precisely, on the table.

The Pirates stopped the ruckus and stared with quiet surprise at the volatile. Even Luffy stopped eating, but he refused to let the hold of the giant piece of meat in his hands, the meat sauce dripping from his mouth.

The bird continued undisturbed to look at each of them, almost as if trying to find something. Or someone.

His search came to an end when he literally threw himself in the arms of Chopper, who fell from the chair, crushed from its weight.

It was Luffy who freed the doctor, holding the bird up high and saying, in a dead serious voice "Can you cook this?", obviously talking to Sanji.

Before Nami could start shouting at the captain for not having anything in that rubber head of his other than food, Robin intervened.

"Isn't that a package?"

"Probably the bird brought it here" Chopper said as he opened it, since there was his own name written on it.

Everyone looked with genuine curiosity and stepped closer to Chopper, who blushed at the content of the mysterious package.

"What is it Chopper?", asked Franky.

"It's a present", he mumbled shyly, showing everyone the little glass-ball. When he shook it, little snowflakes came down on the mini sculpture of a reindeer and a man hugging each other in front of a small house.

"Nothing's like home, duh?", Zoro said, remembering the scenario of the doctor's homeland.


	2. X

II. Alcohol - Because no great story starts with salad

Along with it was a card, which Chopper tried to hide quickly under his hat, but way not fast enough for Brook not to see.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY", he gasped.

"SNEAKY TANUKI!"

"I AM NOT A TAN-"

"CHOPPER, CONGRATS!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG MAN!"

"CHOPPER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The reindeer blushed in exasperation.

"Yeah, thanks guys, I didn't want to tell because I don't know, the situation was just not-"

"WE GOTTA THROW A PARTY!", Luffy announced, "SANJI, MORE FOOD!"

The cook was just about to explain that it was impossible to prepare a birthday party like that, not to mention after lunch, but Robin interrupted the fight which was about to ensue suggesting that they made a feast in the evening, with a cake, candles - and obviously alcohol.

Everybody agreed on that, although the captain wasn't entirely satisfied with the fact that he wouldn't get any more food at the very moment.

They reached a small town soon enough for Sanji to buy the ingredients he needed (along with Luffy, of course, who wanted to check on the birthday menu), for Franky, Usopp, Brook to go buy the beverages, for Nami and Robin to do some shopping and buy some cute birthday party ornaments and for Zoro to get lost a couple of times.

Chopper was ordered to stay on the ship - officially because the Thousand Sunny couldn't be left without care, but actually because since everybody wanted to buy presents among the other stuff it was best to not have him in the way.

When they came back, the pirates all had a satisfied look on their faces.

Sanji barricaded himself in the kitchen and threatened everybody in eyesight (meaning Luffy) with his kicks.

Finally dinner time came and everybody sat at the table. Sanji had surpassed himself with wonderful dishes and Chopper was so moved by the cook's effort that he almost cried. Usopp quickly wiped away his single tear, encouraging him to smile instead of crying because - and he started telling a probably made up story about the meaning of life and cherishing moments.

Finally it was the time of the birthday cake and unwrapping presents.

Franky and Usopp had worked on a firework display leaving in awe, Robin gave him the most up to date medical book around,

Brook played him a piece he had composed himself, Sanji's present was the huge birthday cake which was still to be brought to the table, Nami's present was the clear weather (it should have rained heavily) and she deleted his debt to her, making everyone wish it was their birthday as well.

Zoro tried to be nonchalant about it, but he had given much thought to the present and surprised everyone by giving the doctor a cute ornament for his big hat.

Finally it was show time and the cake was majestic, there are no other words to describe it. The love, the passion and the effort the cook had put into it was clear to everyone. He even earned a kiss on the cheek from both the women in the crew and an almost approvingly grunt from the green marimo.

And then, the alcohol kicked in.

Now, that's the real beginning of our story, sorry for the wait.

Where to begin though? Probably from Luffy, because every One Piece story starts with Luffy.

"'Nother round."

"'Nother round of what?", Usopp asked, barely standing.

"Rum, 'f course, whaddya think? Where's the waiter?"

"We ain't got no fucking water", Sanji mumbled, "just Rum."

"Why should I run? Where to?", said the captain, who was in no condition to walk, most definitely not to run.

Chopper and Franky where playing hide and seek, but then the doctor 'forgot where he was hidden' and fell asleep, while the robot forgot to search for him and went for another drink.

The skeleton meanwhile was making moves on his own violin, complimenting its womanly curves.

Nami and Robin started dancing to no music and Zoro rejoiced at the amount of alcohol which was jet to be consumed.

"For y'all who still can walk", Luffy said, or at least that's what he would have liked to say - this is an impromptu translation - "get up here and let's play a game."

Brook vanished with his violin, declaring he would invite them all to the wedding.

The Birthday Boy fell asleep on Franky, after both had found themselves puking in the same 'sea corner' after the hide-and-seek game. Usopp had insisted he was sober for about an hour before fainting to the ground.

In the end, the only ones who actually understood Luffy's invitation and had enough strength to accept it were Sanji, Robin, Nami and Zoro.

"What's this game 'bout? If it ain't worth my time, I'ma charge you, y'know", Nami said, clinging to Robin.

"I got many games in stock, no worries", the captain smiled, for a second almost looking sober, if it hadn't been for the fact that he had his neck tied in a knot. Usopp's idea, by the way.

"First, we could, mm, play hide 'n seek? Then, bottle game, strip poker, or 7 seconds to heaven...", and he started listing a variety of games no one knew of or that were way too much revealing for the ladies.

They settled they could try with hide and seek, (hoping to get something more out of it than Chopper and Franky) and later on 'I Never', a game in which everyone says a thing they never thought of or did or would want to do and all the players who did have to drink.

Robin was chosen to be the seeker, as she was the one who knew the ship less than the other members (well, aside from Zoro, who could have gotten lost in the blink of an eye).

"I'ma hiding with Nami-swan."

"Like hell you are", grunted the swordsman, "I gotta hide well here y'know! I need the navigator here."

"Well well...I guess I'll go with who pays more", agreed the redhead.

In the background Robin was already counting.

Luffy was already well hidden, and if not well at least hidden, since the three of them were still arguing when Nico Robin was almost done.

"Fine, I'll pay! Just come with me now, would ya?", said the swordsman, and without waiting for a response he started running on the other side of the ship after grabbing her hand. The cook would have certainly protested but the time was almost up so he figured he would get back to that green marimo later and hid as well.

"I'll regret this tomorrow..", Zoro mumbled, unaware of having voiced his thoughts out loud. After Nami had found them a very good hiding, she smirked, getting so close to him that he could feel her breath on his skin.

"If it's something you'll regret in the morning", she whispered, "sleep late."


End file.
